Kathi Vidal

Vidal earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Binghamton University, a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.^[2][3]

Vidal began her career as an engineer for General Electric and Lockheed Martin, working in the areas of artificial intelligence, software engineering, and circuitry.^[4] From 1996 to 1997, she served as a law clerk for Judge Alvin Anthony Schall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. From 1997 to 2017, she was a litigator at Fish & Richardson. From April 2017 to April 2022, she was the Silicon Valley managing partner and patent litigator at Winston & Strawn.^[5][6]

On October 26, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Vidal to be the next Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).^[7] On December 1, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.^[8] On January 13, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 17–5 vote.^[9] On April 5, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed Vidal by voice vote.^[10] She was sworn in as the director of the USPTO on April 13, 2022,^[11] and was sworn in as under secretary on April 19, 2022.^[12]

On December 13, 2024, Vidal left the USPTO and rejoined the Winston & Strawn law firm.^[13][14]